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360 Gamer Issue 2
This issue which cost £2.99 was released in December 2005. News Network Zero Hour Arrives - 2 pages (12-13) :360 launch heats up the desert sun. Things That Go Bump in the Night - (14) :First look at Alone in the Dark. Splinter Cell 4 - (15) Voodoo Nights - (15) World Cyber Games: UK National Finals - 2 pages (16-17) Origen Viral Marketing - (18) Microsoft Reveals Hard-Drive Content - (18) In Development: Relic Entertainment - 1 page (19) 200 Xbox Games Confirmed Backwards Compatible - (20) Live Arcade launch games revealed - (21) Features One-Way Ticket to Oblivion and Back - Tom Sargent - 6 pages (26-31) :How The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion will change videogaming RPGs forever. Up For the Crack - Crackdown - Tim Clare - 2 pages (32-33) Adventures in Sound - 4 pages (34-37) :How Dolby and Xbox 360 changes the way you hear videogames... Can You Manage? - Jon Foster - 6 pages (38-43) :Football Manager 2006 + LMA Manager 2006 This is Not a Test - Test Drive Unlimited - Tim Clare - 4 pages (46-49) Kick Some Mass - Mass Effect - 2 pages (50-51) Development Room - Monolith - Tim Clare - 5 pages (52-56) :Condemned: Criminal Origins Letters - 2 pages (122-123) Previews Chromehounds - Ollie Barder - 4 pages (110-113) The Outfit - Mark Podd - 4 pages (114-117) TimeShift - Tim Clare - 2 pages (118-119) Reviews Call of Duty 2 :At its best Call of Duty 2 is little short of a masterpiece of modern gaming. It's so gritty and intense at times you can suspend your disbelieve to such an extent the couch, TV and controller simply melt away. That said, Call of Duty 2 would have scored higher was it not compromised somewhat by a slight penchant for repetition and its sudden - anti-climactic - conclusion. Peter Jackson's King Kong :A real triumph. While no flat-out classic, there's so much to Kong that you'll admire and enjoy, that even when it finishes early, even when you realise how straightforward much of the gameplay is, you're likely to want to give it another go. Especially playing as the big guy himself... Kameo: Elements of Power :Kameo: Elements of Power is a solid but uninspired action platformer which looks pretty but ultimately has limited playability because of a weak story, power-ups which aren't needed and gameplay, which can't rise above 'standard' level. Rare obsessives will love the extras showing the Kameo's development through three consoles, but for everyone else the game won't get more than one play through before it's traded for something better. Project Gotham Racing 3 :Project Gotham Racing 3 looks and plays beautifully. The Solo challenges are generally well-pitched, the control system is responsive and easy to pick up, and Playtime mode is fun, fun, fun. Online play and the Route Creator add some much needed longevity when single player mode begins to drag. All in all, a very solid launch title, albeit one that looks set to face some stiff competition in the near future. Perfect Dark Zero :There's a very good game trapped inside PDZ, but it only gets to show itself occasionally. PDZ''s such fun, it almost deserves top marks. Unfortunately, it's crippled by an unforgivably bad story, terrible implementation and atrocious Al. When it does shine, though, you'll quite happily sacrifice days on end to it. If multiplayer's more your thing, you won't be disappointed. Decent maps, excellent game modes and 32-player deathmatches will keep you very happy indeed. Need for Speed: Most Wanted :You'd be as hard-pushed to describe ''Need For Speed Most Wanted as essential as you'd be to deny its sheer entertainment value. A mature, enjoyable if hardly radical arcade racer, it's at best supreme fun, and at worst still worth a spin. Can't be bad. Quake 4 :Whilst it can be argued that providing old-gen gaming structure in next-gen form is a case of Emperor's New Clothes, when it looks and plays this good - "Look mum, the Emperor's been working out... and he's hung like Ron Jeremy!" - ardent FPS fans probably won't give a Strogg's uncle! Amped 3 :Amped 3 is decidedly average. Actually, to be fair sections are quite good fun, but at no point does it really do anything particularly different or exciting. Though technically difficult to fault in terms of playability, it lacks the next generation 'X-Factor' this kind of game demands. Condemned: Criminal Origins :C:CO is a title that beautifully showcases the 360's potential for immersive, cinematic experiences, combining vanloads of atmosphere with some terrifyingly convincing Al. Sadly, however, it manages to simultaneously squander much of that potential with poor level design, repetitive gameplay, weak plotting and a dearth of Live content. Smells of a cynical rush-job, but as a launch title it'll doubtless sell scads. That's economics for you, Bleugh. NBA Live 06 :An entirely competent, at times downright entertaining rendition of basketball. The presentation, visuals and audio are superb, as you'd expect, and while the gameplay itself doesn't always click there's still a good deal to enjoy here. A good choice if you're looking for some short-term fun. Gun :While Gun won't appeal to everyone, there's no denying it's instant appeal and that it's great fun to just pick up and play. Sure, there are good things and bad things, but if you can forgive the controls and the moderate graphics and just let yourself be swept along for the ride, you'll find it hard not to have fun. Madden NFL 06 :Even if you don't ordinarily warm to American Football, Madden NFL 2006 has real appeal to those who simply enjoy a good sports game. Occasionally shallow, its presentation is nonetheless faultless. And while it may not be the best of the launch games (by a decent distance), it stakes a hard claim for being the best looking. Really. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 :It's a fairly lazy conclusion to say that this is the 360's best golf game. However, thanks to the current lack of any sign of competition, that's true, and likely to remain so for a good year at least. The Microsoft-owned Links franchise shows few signs of making its 360 debut so in the interim, Tiger has the fairway all to himself. Good job the game itself is so strong, then. Cheats & Guides Call of Duty 2 - Guide - 7 pages (99-105) Other Credits Editorial Director :Darren Herridge Group Art Editor :Claire Trent Contributors :Gareth Adams, Russell Barnes, Rob Burman, Tim Clare, Tristan Donovan, Jon Foster, Clifford Green, Duncan Jeffries, Matt Kamen, David Martin, Mark Podd, Tom Sargent, Remi Suzan, Callum Waddell, Alex Warren, Russell Murray, Michael Bunning, Ollie Barder Category:Contains Xbox 360 Reviews